Japanese Rope Bondage for Beginners

For those of you who like the more elegant things in life, Japanese rope bondage may be a sophisticated sexual sensation that is right up your street.

Known as Shibari (which literally translates as 'to bind'), Japanese rope bondage is a more accentuated and precise version of regular restraint. As a result, Shibari takes dedication, patience and imagination to make it work properly.

Even though it may seem more complicated than many 'Western' forms of bondage, by learning Shibari you will develop a beautiful skill that will lead to fantastic genital stimulation as well as a deeper sense of trust and a greater bond between you and your partner.

Above: Get to ropes with the basics and get familiar with simple ties with Jess Wilde in this video guide. In this video she shows you how to create a waspie corset using nothing but bondage rope!

What is Shibari?

Shibari is an artistic kind of rope bondage that originated in Japan and consists of many special ties and bindings that allow the genitals to be stimulated.

There are many theories as to when Shibari started and what reigion it came from. Many believe it started in the Sengoku period of Japan - one of the country's darkest historical eras of torture and execution.

It is believed that in 1742 the Tokugawa government introduced a number of punishments and tortures for criminals, with punishments that included slave labour, exile and death, and tortures that included whipping, constriction by rope (early form of Shibari) and hanging.

Others believe that sexual bondage was first popularized in Japan during 1908 by Ito Seiu, generally referred to as the 'Father of Shibari', who started researching Hojojutsu (a form of restraint often used in martial arts) and turned it into an art form. Shibari then became a popular performance art in Japan in the 1960s, eventually making its way over to the UK and America.

How does it work?

Japanese rope bondage is based on a series of fairly specific rope patterns, most of them influenced by the Hojojutsu ties.

These involve a length of rope being wrapped in specific patterns around certain parts of the body, and eventually the body as a whole, with varying degrees of pressure and constriction depending on which part of the body is being targeted and stimulated.

Some of the more well-known patterns include the Takate Kote, also known as the Arm Box Tie, which forms the basis of most Shibari ties and provides a foundation for encompassing the whole body. Another popular tie is the Ebi, also known as the Shrimp, which was originally used as a Hojojutsu torture tie and is one of the most effective methods of bonding and exposing your partner to any kind of activity you wish to perform on them.

One of the main ways in which Shibari differs from Western bondage is that instead of just restraining and immobilising your partner or 'bottom', by using the ropes in different formations and patterns you can actually stimulate your partner's genitals, breasts and erogenous zones.

Shibari is famous for using asymmetrical positions to heighten the psychological impact of bondage, adding a new level of sensation compared to some of the more straight-forward bondage techniques.

What you need to do it

In Japan, Shibari is practiced with seven-metre-long rope, but anything between five and ten metres will do the job. Traditionally, the rope is made of hemp or jute for a soft yet sturdy sensation, but silk ropes are just as effective and friction-free for a smoother experience.

Tell me how to tie!

Learning how to perform Shibari rope bondage is pretty difficult but not impossible!

There are so many techniques that we sadly can't cover them all in this guide but it is worth checking fetish clubs or looking online to see if there are any Shibari classes in your area. Alternatively, we recommend the book Two Knotty Boys Showing You the Ropes as it has some great tips for getting started.

Although we can't give you a step-by-step demonstration of each technique, here is a little advice on how to do Shibari successfully:

- Make sure your partner is comfortable and ask them to manipulate their body as you tie them up to get the best grip on their limbs (wrapping the breasts is easiest when they're leaning forwards, for example.)

- Do not over tighten! You want to restrain your partner but not cut off blood circulation.

- Be careful when using rope around the neck. It is an extremely sensitive area and even if you tie loosely, it can still cause breathing problems.

- When tying the wrists and legs, try to make then tension equal on both sides. This will not only make your Shibari look good but it should feel good too!

Need more help?

You can Contact Customer Care, who will be able to help you find the perfect bondage gear. You can send an email, telephone or live chat to an experienced advisor from 24/7.

Comments (11)

jeni:October 06, 2009 14:18

Is is illegal to pay for japanese rope bondage to be performed on you? I would like to add it to my personal to-do list to experience this and would like it to be done by a professional who knows what they are doing. Any suggestions?

LoveHoney - Carly:October 08, 2009 09:03

Hi Jeni,

It is not illegal to pay for lessons in Japanese Rope Bondage. It's not considered prostitution as you're not paying for actual intercourse.

There are many places in the UK and across the world that offer lessons and demonstrations. It might be worth starting with local fetish clubs and then researching further.

There are also many blogs on Shibari - you might like to get in contact with the authors for their suggestions of where to start.

Hope that helps!

jeni:October 08, 2009 17:05

Thanks - i'll let you know how I get on Carly xx

steve smith:October 26, 2009 07:12

as a newbie to the bdsm scene, i find the japanese rope art to be amazing, and like carly, its definately on my to do list, so thanks for the item jenisteve

Ayla Lynn:November 20, 2009 01:53

I have had the chance to experience this recently with a master. The emphasis has been on helping me learn about my energy. Through constriction and pressure upon the ropes, I am able to experience and move my energy within rather than give it away or allow it to 'run around'. It has been an interesting experience which, when combined with Tantra, has been an extremely stimuting and evolving experience.

Bruce:April 03, 2011 21:28

If anyone is interested in learning more, see www.shibariclasses.com for details of group and private classes in London by a very experienced teacher. Esinem performs in internationally and has trained with three of Japan's top artists: Arisue Go, Kinoko Haime and Osada Steve

Scott:May 06, 2011 19:24

This is something I am very interested in learning how to do. My problem is that I am a soldier deployed to Afghanistan right now. My current partner has had this done to her in the past and It;s something that we;ve talked about exploring together. I want to at least be partly proficient at it by the time I get home so I can surprise her. I would love and appreciate any advice. Thank you in advance.

Bruce:May 08, 2011 02:53

@Scott Douglas Kent's 'Complete Shibari: Land' is a good start for the technical stuff. However, this will give you some insight into the more important aspect of just how you apply the rope: www.esinem.com/Bondage%20for%20people.pdf The ties are simply the tip of a very big iceberg. I shall be releasing two tutorial DVDs later in the year that cover both sides. My parting advice is to practice till you forget how you do it (like stripping a rifle blindfold)